Assessment of the Concepts and Limitations of Public Policy in Nigeria (2021-2024)

The paper aimed to assess the concept and limitations of public policy analysis in Nigeria. The objective of the paper is to assess the concepts and limitations of public policy analysis. Despite the effort of government to formulate and implement policies aimed at improve the living standard of the populace, yet the living standard has not been improved due to misplacement of priorities by government and lack of problem identification, corruption, frequent change of government policies, as well as conflict among governmental institutions, etc. There are public problems facing the society such as insecurity, unemployment, poverty and inflation, education, health care and access to portable water etc, rather than focusing on policies that is in consistent with the public interest such as; removal of subsidy and banning of the freedom of expression. The paper employed explanatory research design based on documentary data, the paper relied on secondary sources such as journals, magazine, unpublished dissertations and internet, also content analysis was used for the presentation and analysis of data. The study concluded that public policy is characterized by public problems; policies are implemented without clear identifications of the problem concerning the general populace. Also the study concluded that lack of accurate and reliable data, frequent change in government policies, problem of choice as well as conflict among the governmental institutions cripple the activities of government and distort public policy to resolve socio economic and political problems faced by the society. The paper reveals that the Federal Government decision that is against the public interest and a denial of fundamental human right is the prohibition of freedom of expressions. Additionally, people were not allowed to express their opinions and right by non-peaceful means like protest and demonstration. Government at all levels should implement policies that serve the public interest and enhance the overall wellbeing of the people. Additionally, people should permit to peacefully exercise their freedom and rights.